Sunday, February 7, 2010

Getting Organized Genealogy Style - Day 8...the end

One week...seven days, that is how long I lasted in my quest to getting organized. It wasn't even seven consecutive days! I put forth the effort, I printed off the organization checklists, read various columns on how to get organized and spent money on office supplies. What did this exercise tell me about myself?

1. I like making lists!

2. I like buying office supplies!

3. I like the idea of being organized!

But no matter how many "here is what you need to do to get organized" blog posts I read or podcasts I listened to, none seem to fit me. I did find great organizational tips and checklists which act as valuable reminders on the preservation and safekeeping of documents and emphasize the need for documentation in a database. However, I think the checklists will only be guidelines for me. I need my own method otherwise I'm not totally committed to it.

Lets face it, having a list can be a great motivator, but it also can be a threat. We feel we have to finish the list in a certain amount of time. This is my hobby and I want to enjoy this hobby without the pressure of deadlines.

Those who recognized this passion in their life and were able to follow that to a career have my admiration. I have a fantastic job that I love with a great company and as much as I enjoy this hobby I won't be quitting my day job! Having said that, I would like to continue my education in family history research. I want to learn more about the methodology, abstracts, transcriptions and citations just to start with. There will be more about my approach to further my education in a future post.

So, it is what it is folks. I am an amateur genealogist (have been for 10 years now) and make no claim to being more than that. I know some about genealogy, but have a great desire to know more. With those aspirations of perfectly completed checklists out of the way I can get back to enjoying the research and the finds!

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